Keep Your Enemies Closer
by nxtural-harmonia
Summary: Mei's new adventure as a trainer proved to be exhilarating and exciting, with a wide array of challenges to take on-until her path begins to constantly cross with a short-tempered Plasma grunt who may have more to himself than he lets on. With a headstrong teenager and cynical, stubborn criminal constantly butting heads, will anything work out for either of them? [MeixPlasma grunt]
1. Prologue

**[Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon]**

**Hey there! Just some quick notes before we get this started: this fic will be a mix of gameverse and animeverse, and the rating may go slightly above T due to language, minor adult content, and violence. Though school is right around the corner for me, I will attempt to get the first few chapters and general plot up as soon as I can! Anyway, I hope you readers enjoy this and stay tuned along the way! Thank you!**

* * *

_PROLOGUE_

_"Today is the day! Journeys always start somewhere- mine starts here. Professor Juniper sent a woman to help me start. Her assistant, more like it. I'll be traveling all over Unova. I'm set with everything- supplies and all! There's no doubt I'm ready for this. It's obvious my mom's been reluctant about letting me do this, but she knows how many battles I've won and how well I can fend for myself. Lately, I've also been looking through my old textbooks and reading up on all kinds of Pokemon. I wonder what mine will be like..."_

The relaxed silence was broken by a voice that echoed from below the staircase, "Mei, are you ready yet?"

"As I'll ever be!" She called back with a bright smile as she gathered her journal and pen, stuffing the items into the bag strapped over her shoulder. The pacing and flitting gaze had already been done with and she was certain she fully prepared. After all, she's been anticipating this for weeks now. Mei took a quick glance at her mirror, adjusting her visor and bag strap. She was clad in a thick rose cardigan, shorts, and leggings to accommodate the Autumn weather. She had postponed receiving her very own Pokemon for seven years and when the time would come, she'd jump on the opportunity like a caged Pidove. Every other night, she'd dream of her adventure. She'd dream of the Pokemon she'd meet and the places she'd see. Trotting down the stairs, she grabbed her Xtranciever from the living room table. Her mother's hands were busy scrubbing at the dishes, the hiss of running water mingling with the murmuring of the television set.

"I'll be heading out now, Mom." Mei gave the older woman a peck on the cheek as she made her way to the door.

"Remember, big green hat! Her name's-"

"Bianca, got that!" She nearly memorized the instructions by now.

The girl waved goodbye before exiting the house, the door closing behind her with a _clunk_! She was met with the crisp, morning air of a drowsy Tuesday.

"Hey!" Mei's attention was drawn to the raven haired boy that made his way over, his little sister following closely at his side. He placed his hands on his hips. "Have you gotten your Pokemon yet?"

She chuckled lightly and shook her head. "Not yet, but I'm on my way right now. Professor Juniper's assistant is giving me one and I'm going to meet her."

"If you get a Pokemon, take really good care of it, ok?" Hugh's sister piped in. He glanced at her, before nodding in concurrence.

Mei knelt down and look into the girl's eyes, speaking with a sincere and genuine tone, "You can _bet_ on that."

"Well, enough with the chit chat, let's go get your Pokemon! I've got something in mind, but I need someone I trust other than my partner Pokemon. That's you. I've got a gut feeling that you have good instincts." He turned to his little sister and gave her back a soft pat. "You can head back home, 'kay?"

The young lass nodded and beamed a smile, "Okay, big brother! Bye-bye, Mei!" And with that, she gave her brother's companion a quick embrace before trotting back to the house.

Hugh watched her go before looking back at the brunette. "Alright, let's go find that girl!

* * *

"Where do you think she'd be?", Mei heard her friend muse, scanning the passing faces as they made their way down the block.

"I'm not so sure but we can drop by the cafe. It's nearby anyway." It'd be understandable to check the more popular areas of the city, such as the cafe, first. Personally, there wasn't much to Aspertia and even if it was time consuming, there weren't many places to check. Aspertia was a fairly small city, so the task of finding this woman should not have been so difficult. Though it proved otherwise.

Mei brought her scarf above her mouth, relishing the warmth as she took in the early morning vibe of the city. Life moved at the very same steady, normal pace. She'd greet the same old woman by the flowershop down the block on the right. Mr. Harb would be on a jog with his Herdier by 9 PM sharp. Today seemed no different, but in truth, it was a turning point to be marked in a journal.

Hugh, in the meanwhile, moved off some feet away to take a look down another street. Allowing her thoughts to carry her away for a moment, Mei's face was suddenly met with knitted fabric, "Oof!" Nearly stuttering a quick apology, she peered up at the tall figure she so happened to bump into. Maroon locks contrasted sharply with the cyan orbs that were so preoccupied with glaring at her. A Munna bobbed drowsily beside him, appearing as if it would almost drift into slumber. The man was dressed appropriately with a navy blue sweater and grey muffler wrapped comfortably around his neck. His tone was nastier than his appearance let on as he growled, "Watch where you're going, twerp."

Mei was taken aback by the harsh response, pursing her lips and biting back her own retort. Luckily enough, Hugh came back in time before a scene was caused and took hold of her arm. He apologized instead, even if he didn't appear so willing to either. "Uh sorry, sir..." He gave his friend a swift look as if to say, "C'mon, don't waste your time on him."

The man's gaze lingered a bit longer, shifting between the two before it was averted. He mulled them over curtly, "You better be. Now scram."

Mei was never one to have a short temper, but when the chords are struck, it wouldn't be pleasant. Her companion had to pull her forward and away. He grumbled under his breath, "Geez, what's _his_ damage? Bad day?" She looked past her shoulder at the cantankerous stranger.

She scoffed and adjusted her cardigan as Hugh released her. "Whether he's had a bad day or not, he needs an attitude check and fast." Hugh snickered at Mei's comment with a small smirk spreading over his lips. The duo continued on their way.

"Wait a minute, I think we should check the lookout before anything else. There could be a good chance she'd be there."

Mei tapped her chin. It was the most popular location in Aspertia City, and it earned such a title for its magnificent view. They were simply checking places nearby, but what Hugh was saying seemed logical enough. "Y'know that's a pretty good idea! Let's go!" She immediately took off to the destination with Hugh following suit.


	2. New Beginnings, Familiar Faces

**Welp, I felt that it was necessary that I get this chapter out before I get busy with some assignments, so I hope you all enjoy it! Reviews are inspiration, so you're all welcome to leave one! Thanks for stopping by! **

* * *

_1. NEW BEGINNINGS, FAMILIAR FACES_

Mei and Hugh raced up the concrete steps with no time to waste and sure enough, a big green hat was in plain sight. Bianca was standing by the railing, enchanted by the breathless sight of the nearby lake and string of mountains in the distance.

Mei took a step forward whereas Hugh stood his ground behind her. "You go on ahead, I'll wait here. Don't take too long!"

She nodded, "Sure." Hastily making her way up the stairs, she approached the blonde.

"What a view! It's sooo pretty!" Bianca, who'd been busy marveling the lookout, beat Mei to a greeting as she was aware of her presence. She turned and gave a bright smile, "Oh, hello! My name's Bianca, I'm an assistant to Professor Juniper! By the way, do you know someone by the name of 'Mei'?"

She confirmed the inquiry politely, "That's me!"

"Ah! It's very nice to meet you. I have a really important request to ask you! Will you help us complete the Pokedex?"

Mei answered with no hesitation, her eyes bright with excitement, "I'd be glad to!"

Bianca beamed at the girl's eagerness. To see rookie trainers off as they leap into a new world of adventure gave her a strong sense of enthusiasm and liveliness in her own sense. "Thanks so much! Your support will help Professor Juniper's research move forward! Anyway, filling up the Pokedex is totally fun!"

"It's an honor to help out, really! I wouldn't expect anything less than enjoyable from this."

"Alrighty then! Ta-daaa!" She presented Mei with a case containing three Pokeballs. The brunette's heart raced at the mere sight of them. "In here is the Pokemon that will be your partner! Go on, pick one!"

Mei bit her lip. She knew as much as having to choose between three basic types of Pokemon: Fire, Water, and Grass. After lengthy debates with herself, she simply couldn't reach a conclusion on which Pokemon she desired the most. Since she didn't know which Pokemon was in each Pokeball, she decided that she'd pick at random. She closed her eyes, hand hovered over the one on the farthest left...then the middle...the farthest right...and back around. Her hand grazed across the cool material of a Pokeball and it closed over it. Eyes still covered, she took the ball into her palm and pressed the button to release the chosen Pokemon.

"Tep...Tepi..." Mei finally allowed herself to open her eyes. Before her was a rather skittish female Tepig.

"Good choice! By the way, would you like to give a nickname to Tepig?"

The Fire type had stumbled to hide behind Bianca's leg, giving a curious look at Mei. "Hm, I'm thinking...Lulu? Do you like that?" The Pokemon took a step away from the safety of Bianca's legs, nose twitching curiously with the nickname.

Bianca clasped her hands together, "What a cute name!"

"Thank you!" Mei giggled and knelt to reach out and caress Lulu's head, taking the Tepig into her arms when it seemed ready.

"Now that you've got your Pokemon, I'll give you this, too- a Pokedex!" Cradling Lulu with one arm, Mei accepted the device gratefully with her other hand. "Do you know how it works?"

She'd dreamed of the day she'd finally get to hold one! "Yup! It records the data of the Pokemon I come across."

"Mhmm, so Professor Juniper wants you to carry it, visit a lot places, and meet all the Pokemon in the Unova region!"

"Hey, how long are you planning to keep me waiting?", Hugh called from behind Mei, coming up from below the stairs to see what has been holding her up. He immediately took notice of the Tepig in her arms, a small grin playing at his lips. "So that's your partner, huh? That's great! My sister already said so, but take really, really good care of your Pokemon." That's when he noticed what was in her other hand. "What's that you're holding?"

Mei began, "It's a Pokedex. Professor Juniper needed help taking down information on all the Pokemon in Unova, so I agreed to take one on my journey."

Hugh seemed to be pondering over something before speaking up defiantly, "Please give me a Pokedex, too! I want to get stronger. If I have a Pokedex, I can learn more about Pokemon...that'll make me tougher, won't it?"

Bianca laughed uneasily, "Um...who are you again?"

"I'm Hugh. I'm going to travel the Unova region with my Pokemon partner in order to search for something very important!"

The blonde was silent for a moment, green orbs focused in contemplating before she finally reached a decision. "Well, ok! I don't really get it, but going on a journey is always good! Anyway, I just happen to have another Pokedex on me! It looks like Pokemon distribution has really changed compared to two years ago, so the more, the merrier!" She retrieved the other device and passed it to Hugh, who gave a small bow and 'Thank you' to express his gratitude. Bianca added, "Oh, I thought of something really cool! You both have Pokemon, right? Why don't you have a Pokemon battle?"

Mei turned to the boy with a wide smirk. "That sounds like a great idea. How 'bout it, Hugh?"

He couldn't agree more. "Sure, let's see how good a Trainer you are!" Taking a Pokeball from his bag, he withdrew an Oshawott. Mei recognized the Pokemon as the one he had hatched from an egg.

She gave her partner a light scratch under the chin, which was gladly accepted. "You ready for your first battle, Lulu?" It gave her a look of sheepish concurrence. Hugh and Mei made some distance between them and Bianca settled in the sidelines.

Hugh advocated, "Ladies first."

Mei leaned down to allow Lulu to step off and away from her arms and onto the makeshift arena. She was undoubtedly pumped. She had battled countless times in the past, but not with Pokemon that were her own. "Lulu, get a head start with Tackle!" The Fire Pig, on the other hand, was not accustomed to battling, but it put its best foot forward and took off. It barreled towards the Oshawott, but the attack was easily dodged with a sidestep.

"Give 'em your own Tackle, Oshawott!" The Tepig was caught off guard and she came to a skidding stop to turn and evade the move. She wasn't quick enough to avoid the opponents attack and was thrown back near the lookout's railing. Mei flinched and watched in anticipation and worry as her Tepig struggled to get back on its feet.

She would have to try a different tactic for now as mere Tackling won't make the battle advance. It would be best if she lower the opponent's stats before taking anymore steps forward. "Let's try Tail Whip, Lulu." The Pokemon turned and wagged its tail.

Perceiving the move as a wasted turn, Hugh commanded, "Tackle, again!" The water type charged at the other, but the tables turned as it was able to jump and avoid the attack this time.

"Quick, another Tail Whip!" As Oshawott recovered from the impact, Lulu came around again to repeatedly swing its tail across the opposing Pokemon's face.

With Oshawott's Defense lowered considerably, Mei continued with Tackling and dodging. Soon enough, Hugh's Pokemon ran short of stamina and the battle came to an end as Oshawott fainted. Her first battled resulted in a victory! She gave a triumphant whoop and she took Lulu into her arms in a proud hug.

Admitting defeat, Hugh sighed praised his Pokemon for its effort before returning it to its Pokeball. "It's different than battling with wild Pokemon. Well, whatever. I'm just happy to know you're a trainer I can count on! I'm heading off first. Get stronger, okay?" He thanked Bianca once more before turning and making his way back down the stairs. Mei and Bianca soon took their leave to the Pokemon Center.

* * *

With Lulu in top condition again, the two girls exited the Pokemon Center and were soon greeted by Mei's mother and Hugh's little sister.

The older woman took notice of the blonde, "Oh! Nice to meet you! You must be Bianca, right?" She looked over to the Pokemon that stood by her daughter's side. It shied away behind the brunette's legs, heat radiating from its body due to the older woman's attention. "Mei, you picked Tepig? Aw she looks like a sweetie!"

Hugh's sister came forward to hand over two Town Maps. "This is from me!"

Mei accepted them with a wide smile, "Thanks so much!"

Bianca piped in and wondered, "Huh? There are two of them..."

"I want Mei to give the other one to my big brother."

Mei's mother nodded, "That's a good idea! Even if it is a single road to the ocean, having a Town Map is always nice." Turning to her daughter, she took hold of her shoulders, speaking firmly, "Now I want you to take good care of yourself. Even if I'm not around to nag you, don't' stay too late and always get a good nights rest! Stay bundled up in weather like this or else you'll catch a cold. D-"

Mei rolled her eyes with a grin, "Mom, I know all of that already!" She was soon pulled into her mother's tight embrace. Arms closing around her back, she pressed her face into the crook of her mother's neck. Ah, she told herself she wouldn't cry!

"Okay, okay, I just...wanted to make sure." Her mother pulled away slightly, "G'bye, kiddo. Stay safe, alright? And don't forget to enjoy yourself! This is supposed to be exciting! Take Tepig and go see many different Pokemon and people."

"I sure will, Mom. I'll probably drop by every now and then, too!"

Bianca sniffed "Aww, you guys! Just watching this makes me happy!"

The group soon dispersed with some kind goodbyes. Mei was planning to find what Route 20has to offer for her now that she had her own Pokemon. Bianca headed back to the Professor's lab in Nuvema. Mei's mother would take Hugh's sister back to her house and carry on with the daily chores.

* * *

Mei was more than ready to bolt across, but she knew she had to take things slowly and carefully. Besides, she agreed to fill up the Pokedex and that required diligence. Along Route 20 , she honed her and her partner's skills even further by exploring the . It was tough, but she knew it was simply an appetizer. She was preparing herself for the full-course meal.

Having taken a rest at a nearby Pokemon Center in Floccesy Town, she was set to push forward again. The Pidoves in the trees above sang their songs and flitted from branch to branch. She felt as if she may have traveled the route before, perhaps when she was a small child. Though her family rarely ventured far out of the city, she certainly remembered its tranquility. She craned to head to peer up at the sign. Floccesy Ranch...

Mei took a step past the sign to take a quick look and see what the area may have to offer. It was a quaint ranch with a small herd of Mareep west of a large barn. Streaks of sunlight finally began to peek through the stubborn clouds, dotting the fields in light. The air was just the right temperature here. She giggled as she watched Lulu sniff tentatively at the flowers that sprinkled the field. Taking a look around, a spiked head of raven locks instantly caught her attention. "Hugh!"

He looked up at the call of his name to find that Mei had finally caught up with him. With his hands stuffed into his pockets in a carefree manner, he made ehr way towards her, "Hey. What brings you here?"

"Your sister wanted me to hand this to you." She pulled a map from her bag and passed it over to the boy.

"Tch...She didn't have to do that...Thanks to you, too." He gave the ma a quick one over before closing the tool and placing it in his bag. "It hasn't been that long and you've already helped me out." He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled lowly.

The brunette waved a hand dismissively, "Ah, no need to thank me, but hey, you're going to repay me some day, yeah?"

He stuck his tongue at her, giving her a half-hearted remark, "You wish."

They were soon greeted by an elderly couple, a Herdier following closely behind them, "We didn't know we had visitors!" The old man addressed the two teenagers with a hospitable attitude. Specks of mud and evidence of hard field work crusted over his gloves and overalls. Wrinkles adorned the edges of his eyes. "I'm the owner of this ranch. And this is my wife." He gestured to the woman beside him. She smiled warmly and nodded.

Mei was the first to speak, "It's nice to meet you! This is a very lovely ranch your have here, too." Her gaze wandered over to the lush greenery and grazing Mareep.

"Thank you, miss! Er, by the way, you didn't happen to see a Herdier around, have you? I can't quite figure out where it went. Our two Herdier are always together and this is the first time one has wandered off, so I'm a little worried." He frowned slightly as he explained their predicament.

Hugh, on the other hand, seemed shocked and a tad irritated, "You're a _little_ worried? Are you kidding me?! Your Pokemon might be lost _forever_! Whatever, I'll look for it!" And with that he took off like a bullet.

Mei reassured the old couple with a light laugh, "I'm sorry, he gets worked up over these kinds of things. Don't worry, we'll help you find your Herdier."

The owners wife shook her head, "It's not a problem at all. We really appreciate the help. I think it's probably just playing somewhere in the ranch."

* * *

Mei stood at the foot of the cluster of trees located behind the barn. Hugh spoke up beside her, "Did Herdier...wander somewhere back there?"

"I don't know, but it won't hurt to take a look around just in case. Let's go." They proceeded deeper into the small woods. They went along winding and twisting paths and ducked under low branches. Pokemon would occasionally skitter across them, but none were Herdier.

Hugh murmured, "It's weird for a Pokemon to just wander off like that...In a worst case scenario, it might be involved in some trouble."

"Yawrp!" The duo perked at the bark that echoed among the trees. They rushed towards the area where it could have originated. The path diverged left and right.

"That sounded pretty close. I'll check over here." Hugh decided to take the path to the left.

Mei nodded and turned right, "I'll go deeper in and have a look." Further along the trail, she began to approach a clearing. Thin sunlight peeked shyly from behind the clouds above to spill out into the clearing and paint the grass in a soft green and yellow glow. To her relief, she spotted the missing Herdier playing in the grass. However it wasn't alone. The silhouette standing nearby could not have been missed. Their back was towards her, arms folded as they appeared to be watching over the Herdier, who was now barking excitedly, as if asking the stranger to come play. They spoke but their voice was drowned out by the distance between them and rustling of the foliage. Trying to piece together the words, they seemed to be murmuring something about their boss.

Hugh's voice came from the north, "Sounds like you found it! I'll head back and tell owners!"

Mei could have responded, but her attention was on the possible culprit of the missing Herdier. "Excuse me? Hello?" She came closer, observing them cautiously and identifying the character as male. His attire wasn't...casual, or at least, something you'd see on a daily basis. A thick, black vest was fitted over his chest with an oddly familiar emblem embroidered into it. His mouth, as well as the rest of his body, were clad in a tight grey fabric. Pokeballs were strapped securely on the belt that hung around his hips. The outfit was topped by a black, militaristic beret that was adorned with a white "X".

Lulu had skittered off to cower behind a nearby tree, eyeing the two as they conversed. He gave an audible sigh and his shoulder slumped as he found that he wasn't so alone, "I will never have my peace, will I? What do you want?"

Mei took a closer look. Red hair...blue eyes...snarky attitude..."Wait a minute, y-you're that jerk back in Aspertia!"

The man scoffed, "That's great, tell me something I don't know. Honestly, it's a _pleasure_ seeing you again." Brushing his bangs away form his eyes, his tone simply oozed sarcasm. His words touched her like poison and they did not cease to make her blood boil with vexation.

She stomped angrily as she made her way over to him, countering audaciously despite the significant height difference between them. "Y'know, I _could_ say that I'm _surprised_ that you'd kidnap someone else's Pokemon, but since you reeked of bad news the moment I saw you, I really can't."

A fleeting look of confusion seemed to dash over him. Kidnap? "Yeah, I kidnapped this Herdier." The canine-like Pokemon had rolled over at his feet and the man bent down to take hold of its paws to make it look as if it was struggling. Though it honestly didn't appear so at all..."What're you gonna do about it, punk?"

She could have spewed numerous ways she'd beat him into a pulp. They backed up before she could utter them. "Just who are you?"

"I'm afraid my name's classified information." He had let go of the Herdier's paws and straightened his posture, brushing off a stray leaf that landed on his shoulder. "Now for my part of the Q&A: have you ever heard of Team Plasma?"

Mei's brow furrowed. "Team Plasma...Didn't they break up some two years ago?" She looked at him suspiciously and something just told her that things weren't quite right. Why would he bring up such a topic? "What're you getting at?"

"Let's just say, we're not quite done around these parts, and when we are, there won't be a mind in the world who wouldn't know about us."

"Wha-"

"Mei! Is the Herdier alright?" She was interrupted by Hugh and the ranch owners as they steadily approached.

The man drawled, "Well, that's my cue. Sorry, but I gotta run. Hope I won't be seeing _your_ hideous visage anytime soon, brat." And with a smug smirk, he was off the scene, leaving behind a very flustered and enraged Mei.


End file.
